


A Miracle On Earth

by BambiRex



Series: Garden Lodge Family Shenanigans [1]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Adoption, Breastfeeding, F/F, Fertility Issues, Fluff, Garden Lodge family, Happy Ending, Jenny is Joe Fanelli, Light Angst, Modern AU, Sickness, and Phoebe is well Phoebe, body image issues, everyone is genderbent, fem!queen, jimercury with a baby, king!au, probably some smut later but nothing too explicit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2020-10-12 18:04:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20568605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BambiRex/pseuds/BambiRex
Summary: Freddie and Jane have a baby, and it's a beautiful but also really difficult experience. This is literally what all this is about.





	1. Bundle of Joy

**Author's Note:**

> I was really in the mood for some fluff, and now everyone has to deal with it :')

Jane nervously drummed on the smooth surface of the table with her fingers, as she was listening to the sound of the phone dialling. Her heart was not even pounding in her chest anymore, but in her throat, and she was pretty sure it was going to jump out of there too in a matter of seconds, eventually ending up on the kitchen floor. Her legs also joined the thumping of her fingers, her entire body buzzing with nerves. She almost screamed into the phone when it was finally picked up.

"Hello?” A very sleepy, very grumpy Regina spoke into it, clearly not too impressed that she has been woken up at three in the morning. Jane almost felt bad for her.

"Hey Regina, it’s Jane! I’m sorry for waking you up, but I had to…Freddie’s in labour.”

She heard an excited little scream at the other end of the phone and some shuffling, before Regina started speaking again:

"Are you calling from the hospital?”

"No, I’m just about to go after her, I’m calling on the landline, my mobile ran out of battery, and I’m freaking out!”

"Jane…”

"Can you call Brianna and Deaky too? I think I had Brianna’s number, but I must have lost it…and I don’t even know if I ever had Deaky’s, but I guess…

"Jane, Jane stop!” Regina laughed into the phone, clearly amused by her anxiety attack.

"Calm down. Freddie is strong, she can handle it.”

"But…”

"No buts. Go after your wife, we’ll be there soon too, okay?”

"Okay…”

Jane turned around after she put the receiver down, her eyes meeting Phoebe’s, who was standing in the doorway, waiting for her to finally leave the house and get in the car.

"All set?” She asked, shooting an encouraging smile towards Jane, who let out a shaky breath, nodding and grabbing the duffel bag from the bed that contained clothes and toiletries for Freddie.

"Let’s go.”

Joan, Brianna and Regina basically stormed into the hospital, running as quick as their legs could take them, almost knocking into Phoebe and Jenny who were waiting just outside the labour room.

"How is she? Is the baby born yet? How long has she been in labour? Are there any complications?”

They all shouted over each other, it was impossible to distinguish who asked what. Regina pretended to be completely calm while she was on the phone with Jane, not wanting her to freak out even more, but she-and Brianna, and Joan too-was just as anxious as she was. She knew from experience, what it was like to have a really hard birth, and she really wished her best friend didn’t have to go through that experince.

Jenny put up her hand, laughing amusedly at the three balls of panic.

"It’s going very okay, actually. Jane is in there with her, and I think there’s about to be three of them very soon.”

Brianna let out a long breath she didn’t even realize she was holding, slumping down into a chair quite ungracefully. Joan took place next to her, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Another Queen baby on the way. Brianna, get ready, you’re next.”

The guitarist rolled her eyes, but smiled.

"Right now, let’s just hope Freddie and the baby are going to be okay.”

Regina nodded, trying to put on her bravest face, but she was shaking with nerves.

"They are going to be okay, I just know it.”

Layla Mercury-Hutton was born at 6.09 in the morning, big and very healthy, screaming her little lungs out with all her might. In terms of voice, she clearly took after her birth mother. The doctors wiped her clean quickly, wrapping her up in a small, soft blanket and laying her on Freddie’s chest.

Freddie’s entire body was shaking so badly, for a minute Jane got scared that she was going to drop the baby, but nothing of the sort happened. She cradled the child in her arms expertly, looking down at her little face, love written all over her features.

"Hello, darling.” She whispered, voice too hoarse to speak any louder. Jane sat down on the edge of the bed next to her, gently wrapping an arm around Freddie’s shoulders, happy tears filling her eyes as she looked down on their baby, who has stopped crying, looking up at her mothers with a curious expression on her tiny face.

"She’s so beautiful.” Jane whispered. She was pretty sure she has never been this happy in her entire life like right now, looking at her perfect wife and their perfect kid. She wanted to have this moment burned into her brain, ingrained in there until it’s impossible to remove.

Freddie smiled tiredly, her own eyes swimming in tears as well. Her hair stuck to her face and forehead with sweat, face red from the exertion. But to Jane, she has never been so beautiful. She pressed a kiss onto her wife’s sticky forehead, Freddie sighing softly in her arms.

"I love You.” Jane said quietly but with a lot of meaning, pressing another kiss, this time onto Freddie’s flushed cheeks.

"I love You too. And I love our baby.” Freddie whispered back, her tears spilling out to run down her cheeks. Jane gently wiped her tears away.

"Shit, I’m getting emotional, and she’s only been here for like five minutes…”

"She has been with us way longer, love. Besides, I’m crying too, if that makes you feel any better.”

Freddie let out a wet little laugh, eyes shining with unabashed happiness. She weakly lifted her head, Jane understanding what she needed right away, leaning down to press their lips together in a soft kiss. Their romantic little moment was interrupted by Layla wailing, little hands fisting in Freddie’s gown. She pulled away from her wife’s lips, gently tutting at their baby.

"You must be really hungry, aren’t you?”

Jane called the nurse over for a little help, who, while Freddie was feeding Layla, told them that once they are finished, the guests can come in, which made Freddie’s face light up.

She barely pulled her gown down again before the door opened, revealing a little army, all of them squealing happily at the same time, when their eyes fell upon Freddie.

"Hey, Champion.” Regina greeted her, pulling her into a careful half-hug, which was a little awkward, with Freddie still sitting in her bed. "How are you?”

"Exhausted. And…Jane, darling, cover your ears; I think my vagina is ruined beyond repair.”

Joan laughed heartily, shaking her head at her, eyes crinkling. "It’s not, trust me. It’ll get better with time.”

Brianna crouched down next to the bed, and Freddie could see, amusedly, that her eyes were glistening with tears.

"Can we see her?” She asked softly, and Freddie nodded, pulling the blankets back to reveal a soundly sleeping Layla in her arms. Everyone simultaneously let out a soft gasp.  
"My God, she’s beautiful!” Jenny cooed, Phoebe just nodding next to her in agreement, wearing a teary smile.

"You two did a really good job.” Regina smiled at the two new parents, one hand softly rubbing Freddie’s shoulder.

"I didn’t do anything.” Jane chuckled, but Freddie immediately hushed her.

"That is not true. Who massaged my aching feet and back? Who painted the nursery? Whose hand is all clawed up because I was holding onto it so hard? Sorry about that dear, by the way. Who was able to handle my terrible mood swings? Get up in the middle of the night to make me egg salad, just because that’s what I was craving? Who took care of my insatiable sexual needs?”

"Alright, we probably didn’t need to know about that.” Brianna chuckled, Regina and Joan letting out a harsh bark of laughter next to her, while Phoebe and Jenny groaned, as if to say ,,don’t even mention it, we heard everything.”

"Nice monologue, I think everyone gets it now.” Jane laughed, carding her fingers through Freddie’s hair. The darker-haired woman nodded, her eyes drooping a little.

"Alright, I think we should leave you to rest.” Joan smiled, slowly rising to her feet, essentialy dragging up Brianna and Regina with her, because they were basically glued to the floor, still staring at Layla in Freddie’s arms in awe.

They said their goodbyes, giving out warm hugs and cheek kisses, before they all walked out the door, leaving the little family of three behind.

Jane looked down at Freddie, smiling at her fondly when she saw that she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. She was so, so proud of her wife. The past nine months weren’t easy on her, carrying a baby as big as Layla, and getting pregnant also wasn’t exactly just a walk in the park. Ever since they decided to have kids, they knew they want one of their own. Both of them seemed okay with the idea of carrying it, so they got the both of them examined to see who was more fit to carry the first one, and that was when they received the devastating news, that Jane couldn’t have kids. So they knew, that whatever happened, Freddie had to carry, and it put a huge stress on her. She desperately wanted to get pregnant, knowing that it was essentially their last chance to have a baby on their own, and probably that was the reason behind her having such a hard time concieving. They almost gave up, when finally, after long months of struggling, the pregnancy test had two lines on it.

"Get some sleep. We’ll be right here when you wake up.” She whispered softly, making Freddie smile. She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss onto Layla’s cheek before carefully handing her to Jane. The Irish woman didn’t even have time to say goodnight to Freddie before the dark-haired woman was out like a log, snoring softly.

Jane walked over to the little crib that was only within an arm’s reach from Freddie’s bed, careful not to wake Layla up.  
"Have sweet dreams, Little Princess.” She kissed her daughter’s cheeks, smiling at the warmth of her soft skin and the way her tiny mouth opened on a quiet yawn. She slowly let the baby down into her bed, covering her with a blanket, before taking her place next to Freddie in the guest bed, smiling at the sleeping form of her wife.

She drifted off to sleep soon too, all the nervousness and excitement of the day clearly having worn her out.

It wasn’t really a surprise that after witnessing her beautiful wife bringing their little bundle of joy into the world, she was smiling even in her sleep.


	2. Welcome Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback (in the form of kudos and especially comments) is very much appreciated, since that's what lets me know if i'm on the right track with this story! :)))

"This is your home, darling!”

Layla looked around the huge mansion, little eyes widening as she took everything in with awe from where she was residing in Jane’s arms, tiny fists grabbing onto her sleeve. Freddie practically arranged a whole tour, showing every single room to her daughter, even though Jane laughed and told her that she is a little too young to care about the abstract paintings on the wall, but Freddie was excited. It was her little darling’s first day at home, at Garden Lodge, and she wanted to give her a proper welcome.

The baby screamed and then giggled in delight when she saw the cats curled up in Jane and Freddie’s bed, making grabby motions with her hands at them. Jane grinned proudly.

"She really is our daughter, already all over the cats.”

She sat down on the bed carefully, arms tightening around her daughter as she was desperately trying to crawl out of them and over to the cats, who looked a little terrified of the small human.

"Don’t be jealous. I know Mummy has another baby, but I still love you.” Freddie cooned to a very offended looking Tiffany, making Jane laugh. She held Layla closer to her chest with one hand, the other gently taking Freddie’s, thumb stroking over the back of her hand.

"There’s plenty of love around here for everyone.”

Freddie flashed her a beautiful, toothy grin, eyes shining with stars of happiness. She lifted Jane’s hand to her lips, pressing a soft kiss onto her knuckles, smiling when she saw a delighted little blush blossom on her wife’s cheeks.

Layla didn’t seem that interested in the cats anymore, realizing that the furry creatures made no effort getting to know her just yet, and instead she resorted to playing with a loose thread of Jane’s sweater. Freddie looked down at her, and she felt her heart swell with love and joy. She leaned over to press a kiss onto her forehead, making Layla giggle in delight and burrow deeper into the soft material of Jane’s sweater.

"Oh, the kitchen! We forgot to show her the kitchen!” Freddie chirped, rising to her feet much quicker than a woman who gave birth only a few days prior should, grinning down at her wife excitedly. "Phoebe and Jenny must be there, and she haven’t met them properly!”

Jane rolled her eyes with a fond smile, following Freddie to the kitchen, softly scolding her for moving too quick and too much even though the doctors told her to be a little more careful. 

"I just can’t help it, I’m so happy.” Freddie sighed dreamily. She really was. Her gorgeous wife was holding their perfect little baby in her arms, and they could finally left that cold, ugly hospital, and now they are finally home. How could she not be happy?

Freddie was right, Jenny was cooking something that smelled absolutely delicious, while Phoebe was sitting at the table, on the phone with someone, but the moment she saw the little family of three appearing in the doorway, she declined, not even saying goodbye to whoever she was talking to, cooing as she marched over to them to greet Layla. Jenny also abandoned the stew she was making, now both women hovering over them with child-like excitement written all over their features.

"Well, hello there.” Phoebe smiled at the baby, her entire face lighting up when her eyes widened, looking up at her curiously.

"Say hello to aunt Phoebe and aunt Jenny.” Freddie cooned, gently taking Layla’s wrist and shaking her little hands, imitating a wave, but even that made her friends melt.

"She’s the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen.” Jenny said in awe. Jane smiled proudly, looking at Freddie with heart eyes.

"Are you surprised? She has good genes.”

Freddie blushed, punching her arm very lightly as to not jostle the baby in her arms, making all of them, including Layla, giggle.

"How does she like her home?” Jenny asked, eyes still not leaving the baby who seemed absolutely content with being stared at like a famous attraction.

"She likes the cats.” Jane laughed, pressing a little kiss onto the top of her daughter’s head.

"Which is the most important thing.” Freddie added, grinning from ear to ear. "Otherwise, I’d disown her.” She quickly kissed Layla’s cheek, shaking her head with a hearty laugh.

"I’m only kidding, of course. But still, good on her.”

Jane grinned amusedly, not being able to resist dropping a soft kiss onto her wife’s lips, enjoying the way her cheeks pinkened beautifully.

"Well, she’s a good girl. Our good girl.”

That made Layla squeal and flap her arms, and as Freddie looked at her, face shining with happiness, she had to ask herself again:

_ How could I not be happy? _

The night was quiet, too quiet and that made Freddie anxious. She glanced over at the clock. Layla should be hungry now, should be wailing for food. A cold dread settled into the pit of her stomach. She shook Jane’s shoulders, essentially waking her up. She felt a little bad about it, but this could be an emergency, and emergencies weren’t things that Freddie liked to deal with alone.

"What?” Jane’s voice was hoarse with sleep as she rolled onto her side, facing Freddie. Even in the dark, she could see her panicked expression, and that immediately managed to wake her up completely.

"What’s wrong?” She asked again, her own voice laden with fear. She knew, that Freddie could freak out about the smallest of things, but they had a baby sleeping in the room next to them, and it was very likely, that whatever caused her wife distress, it was connected to her, and this thought was anything but comforting.

"She haven’t cried yet.” Freddie answered quietly, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. "Why haven’t she cried yet?”

Jane let out a long breath, chuckling in the end. So, it wasn’t a big deal. She was expecting something absolutely terrible, and knowing that the only reason behind Freddie’s scared expression was the fact their child haven’t started demanding to be fed just yet, calmed her right away. She smiled at Freddie, gently squeezing her hand.

"She’s probably sleeping, Freddie.” That still didn’t manage to sooth Freddie’s anxiety. The singer shook her head, heaving herself up in a half-sitting position, eyes glued on the door that separated them and Layla.

"She needs to eat. What if something happened to her?” Her voice was shaking so badly, Jane knew that she’s gonna work herself into a frenzy very soon and start crying. She sat up too, wrapping her arms around her shoulders.

"Nothing happened to her, she’s just sleeping, love. This was her first day at home, a lot of impulses reached her. She’s probably very tired.”

Freddie sighed, a shiver running down her spine when she remembered back on the horror stories she’s heard and read about.

"I heard few days old babies can die for basically any reason…like, I don’t know, they get twisted up in the blanket and they suffocate…”

"Freddie…”

"Or, the cats! What if they managed to sneak in her room somehow, and sat on her face? She’s too weak, she can’t push them off! Or what if she managed to climb out of the bed somehow, fell on the floor onto her head, and bashed her skull!?”

Jane literally had to cover her mouth with her hand to stop her from continuing her pessimistic rant.

"Freddie, oh my god. You need to stop reading all those hoax bullshit on the internet. Nothing of the sort happened. But I can check on her, will that make you feel better?”

She pulled her hand away, looking at her wife expectantly. Freddie let out a sigh, then nodded.

"Okay…”

Jane pressed a quick kiss onto her cheek, then strodded out to Layla’s room. Just as she thought, her daughter was sleeping soundly in her bed, cradling a plush elephant in her arms. Jane smiled warmly at the sight, then turned around to go back to her ball of anxiety of a wife.

She almost screamed when she knocked into Freddie in the doorway. Freddie was too unnerved to stay in bed anymore, so she was eavesdropping at the door to hear screams or other terrifying sounds that could indicate something horrible happening in the nursery.

"Shit, Freddie…You scared me.” Jane whispered with a low chuckle, gently grabbing Freddie’s hand to lead her back to the bedroom.

"Is she okay?” Freddie whispered back, her voice still shaking a bit. Jane nodded, caressing her cheeks.

"Yes. Out like a log. Something you should do too, very soon.”

Before Freddie could answer, a high-pitched wail came from the direction of the nursery, making Freddie grin triumphantly.

"Finally. Wouldn’t want her to starve to death.”

Jane rolled her eyes but nodded with a small smile, arching her eyebrows questioningly when Freddie grabbed her hand.

"Wanna join us?” Freddie asked shyly, her blush visible even in the darkness. Jane was present when she first fed Layla in the hospital, but this felt different somehow. They were finally home, and that gave them a chance to make the experience much more intimate. 

Jane nodded again, her smile widening, letting herself be led into the nursery. Freddie tutted at their crying daughter, lifting her effortlessly.

"Oh you poor, hungry thing. Don’t worry, Mummy is here.”

She seated herself in the big, comfortable armchair that they assigned as the breastfeeding chair, pulling up her nightgown and cradling Layla to her chest. Jane crouched down next to them, and it was a wonder her face didn’t split from her wide smile as she was watching her daughter feed, her little hands kneading at Freddie’s breasts. The singer let out a quiet whine, but she smiled anyways.

"It’s more painful than it looks.” She explained, making Jane shoot her a sympathetic smile. 

"And she doesn’t even have teeth yet…”

Jane wrapped an arm around her shoulder, nuzzling Freddie’s cheek until she turned to her, their lips meeting in a soft, gentle kiss. Freddie felt her heart flutter happily, and she smiled against Jane’s lips.

_ How could they not be happy? _


	3. Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I messed around with the timeline a lot here, but artistic license, I guess.
> 
> To avoid confusion, Dominick is Dominique Beyrand, Andrew is Anita Dobson, and Vincent is Veronica Tetzlaff.
> 
> Also, this chapter doesn't really have any plot whatsoever.

Throwing a birthday party for someone who literally only turned one-month old was a tad bit overdramatic, but if that someone’s mother was Freddie Mercury, then, it might have made some sense.

Jane couldn’t help but chuckle as Freddie was desperately running around the house, ordering either her, or Phoebe or Jenny around. Soon, the whole house was decorated with lampions and balloons; it was a bloody circus already, and the guests haven’t even arrived…

"Isn’t this a little over the top?” Jane asked softly after she finally managed to stop Freddie from climbing up the ladder to fix a slightly crooked paper butterfly herself by wrapping her arms around her waist and literally physically preventing her from doing it.

Freddie looked back at her like she was crazy, an offended little pout on her lips.

"Of course it is. But it has to be. Layla is exactly one-month old today!”

Jane laughed softly, brushing a stray piece of hair that has fallen out of Freddie’s ponytail out of hair face gently, caressing her cheeks.

"Are we gonna celebrate her birthday every single month?”

Freddie shrugged, but the wide grin on her face told Jane, that she was probably already planning the next party for their daughter.

Layla didn’t seem that interested in the preparations altogether, idly playing with her favorite stuffed elephant or terrorizing the cats from where she was rolling around on her play rug.

Jane bent down to pick the baby up in her arms, smiling when Layla immediately started squealing and flapping with her little arms in delight upon seeing her Mama. Jane pressed a kiss onto her chubby cheeks, before she turned back to Freddie.

"How many people have you invited? I don’t want her to get too overwhelmed.”

"Just my regal posse and their little families.” Freddie answered, inspecting a balloon from up close with a frown.

"Is this the same shade than the rest? It looks slightly different.”

Jane rolled her eyes with a fond smile, leaving her artistic wife determining the exact shade of each balloon, and instead walked into the kitchen where Jenny was already slaving over the stove, preparing at least six different kinds of meals.

"Don’t even ask.” The cook groaned, when Jane arched her eyebrows at her questioningly.

"It’s literally everything.”

Jane laughed, patting Jenny on the shoulder comfortingly, Layla immediately trying to mirror her movements.

To be honest, Jane had her self-doubts about whether Layla will accept her as her mother truly. She couldn’t help those ugly thoughts in the back of her mind that kept reminding her, that she wasn’t a biological parent to her child. And even though she made fun of Freddie for constantly surfing the internet and looking up every single detail about how to give a proper bath to a few months old child, she also happened to do her own research when her wife wasn’t looking. She wanted to know, whether a child will imprint more on someone who gave birth to them. Jane knew, that it was nonsense, but sometimes she just became self-conscious a little bit. She also felt guilty for her own infertility-again, the rational part of her brain told her, that it was one hundred percent NOT her fault, since it’s not exactly something she had control over, but still. Freddie had to cut back on touring and producing music, because she had to be the one to carry, and Jane couldn’t help but feel bad about it. If she could have gotten pregnant, Freddie could have continued living her life like she liked it the best: as a rockstar, adored by everyone…

She shook her head to clear it from her self-depricating thoughts. It was her daughter’s party today, and there was no time to wallow in self-pity and guilt.

The commotion coming from outside finally indicated that the guests arrived. Phoebe heaved herself away from the table and strodded out to let them in, Jane walking back to the hall, only too see her wife still being hunched over the decorations and frowning, looking like she was about to have a mental breakdown. Well, if she finds out her friends are already here, and she was still dressed in an old shirt with holes in it as well as sweatpants (which to Freddie, equaled a national tragedy) she’s definitely gonna lose it. But Jane has learned how to handle her outbursts, something she was very proud of.

"Kitten.” She started softly, putting a charming smile on her face. ,,These decorations are really great, how about you leave them be a little, and get dressed?”

Freddie gasped, her eyes widening in shock. She looked almost comical.

"Are they here already!?” She whimpered, her face going pale. Jane nodded slowly, gently cupping Freddie’s chin.

"Go and get dressed, but don’t make a big fuss about it, okay? Remember, they are your best friends, they won’t laugh at you even if you’re not wearing a ballgown.”

Freddie sighed and nodded, pecking Jane’s lips quickly before she dissappeared into the bedroom.

It wasn’t long before the hallway was filled with the rest of Queen and their respective little families. Regina’s son, Felix was looking up at Jane with big, wondering eyes; well, he was mostly staring at Layla in her arms.

"Hey.” Jane smiled down at the boy, who was gawking like this was the first time he’s ever seen a baby that young. Well, that was probably the truth.

"Can I hold her?” He looked up at his parents hopefully, and Regina chuckled.

"That escalated quickly. No, sorry honey, she’s too young.”

Felix pouted a little but didn’t throw a tantrum about it, thank God. Jane liked this kid, he was a good little chap.

"She’s even more beautiful than I remembered.” Joan cooned, leaning closer to the baby in Jane’s arms, her own kids, Luke and Joshua peeking out from behind their father, Vincent, clearly not as enthusiastic about meeting the star of the party as much as Felix was.

"Where’s Freddie?” Brianna asked, some concern already lingering in her voice. She thought her friend will already be here jumping up and down, all over the place as usual.

"She went to get dressed, she’ll be here soon.” Jane comforted her.

"Come on, don’t just stand here.” She lead them into the living room where an array of cookies and tea was already served by Jenny, neatly arranged on the mahogany table, made by Jane, in the middle of the room.

Freddie finally emerged, looking suspiciously similar to how she looked like before the guests have arrived, she only changed her shirt to one that didn’t have holes, and clearly put on a bra as well. Jane didn’t want to question her about it just yet, but there was just…something strange about how Freddie dissappeared into the bedroom for so long then came out looking like this. There was also something in her eyes, that made Jane concerned.

Her cheerful voice was the same at least, as she greeted her friends with a loud "Darlings!” so, that was still normal.

The next few minutes were spent with exchanging pleasantries, Freddie observing how much Felix, Joshua and Luke has grown, and everyone made a joking comment about how Brianna should hurry up with the baby project, making both her and her husband, Andrew blush profusely.

"And how is the baby-craze?” Dominick asked, wrapping his arms around Regina’s shoulders, pulling her to lean against his side snugly.

"It’s great.” Freddie said, her eyes shining with happiness, her smile almost splitting her face, and Jane thought this was the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen: seeing her wife so happy.

"Layla is just perfect. And Phoebe and Jenny help us a lot, so we’re not as lost as we thought we would be.” Jane added, shooting a grateful smile towards them, to which they replied with a similarly dreamy grin.  
It was definitely a more quiet party than usual, thanks to the fact the celebrated was a little too young for anything extravagant. She soon started to get bored of the adults, along with the other kids, so Jane put her on her play rug again, the other kids (even Joshua and Luke, eventually) joining them, making sure not to be too rough while playing with Layla. The husbands also joined to keep watch, allowing a few moments of alone time for the bandmates.

"You look great.” Joan said, inspecting Freddie with a bright smile. Freddie groaned, her cheeks going red.

"I was supposed to wear something else.” She whined quietly. "But I couldn’t fit into it…”

"Well, don’t beat yourself up about it too much, it has only been a month.” Regina said softly. "Not being able to stuff yourself into a tight minidress after giving birth is like, the most normal thing ever.”

Freddie huffed, wrapping her arms around herself instinctively, as if to hide herself.

"I know, it’s just…I still look like I’m pregnant.”

"That’s normal.” Joan confirmed too, squeezing Freddie’s knee comfortingly. "Everyone does after giving birth so recently.”

"You didn’t.” Brianna perked up, and Joan rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, okay, but most of us do. By the way, I hope you’ll be very fat when you eventually get pregnant.”

"Why are you so mean to me?” Brianna groaned, making the other three laugh.

"No chance, this one here will always be rail-thin.” Regina said with some jealousy in her voice. ,,I looked like a blimp when I was pregnant.”

"I still think I’ve won.” Freddie murmured, inspecting her stomach with a frown. "Everyone was asking me if I’m having twins.”

"I remember that…you hit someone over the head with a hot-dog when they asked you that.” Brianna laughed at the memory and Freddie snorted.

"Yeah, maybe I was overreacting a bit.”

Layla had to be put to sleep eventually, and the other kids’ eyes started drooping too, so they decided it’s best to cut the party short and said their goodbyes to each other.

Jane closed the room of the nursery, looking at Freddie intently.  
"Everything okay?” She asked softly and Freddie looked at her like she just asked her to solve a cubic equation.

"Of course…why are you asking?”

"It’s just…you were acting kind of strange…”

"I wasn’t.” Freddie said quickly, turning on the Tv and not looking at her wife. Jane swallowed around the lump in her throat. Something was definitely off.

"Did I…do something wrong?” She tried, sitting next to her wife. Freddie shook her head.

"No. I’m just tired. Cuddle?”

Jane smiled softly, pulling Freddie close against her side, and the black-haired woman soon fell asleep, all the preparations to her daughter’s party having worn her out.

Jane couldn’t help feeling a little insecure again. Just what on Earth could have happened in that bedroom, that made Freddie look like she just saw a ghost? And why is she suddenly so…distant?

Whatever it was, they definitely had to talk about it, as soon as possible.


	4. Some Things We Need To Talk About

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains talks about fertility and body-image issues and there's also some very light, barely-there smut at the end. Feedback- as always- is very much appreciated! :))

_ How long after a woman has given birth will she experience symptoms of post-partum depression? _

Jane let out an exasperated sigh at the answer: the whole ordeal was supposed to start shortly after the baby is born, but it has been months since then, and Freddie’s strange mood only recently started.

Jane spent the whole day looking up everything she could find out about baby blues and post-partum depression, but nothing of the listed symptoms aligned with how Freddie was behaving, and this made the entire debacle all the more concerning.

Freddie clearly didn’t have any problem with her kid, abandoning Layla very probably didn’t even cross her mind: she actually seemed more alert and happy when she could hold her or breastfeed her. The problem wasn’t with that, at all.

It was with how she acted around her wife.

Jane kind of felt like that in the past few months, Freddie started shutting her out in a way, sort of giving her the cold shoulder, and she just couldn’t understand, what the hell has she done wrong that made her wife act so weird. Her strange mood started about a month after Layla was born, and it seemed to get kicked into gear fully after the little party they organized for their daughter. That was the day, when Freddie really clammed up for some reason, putting up the first bricks of the proverbial walls around her.

Panicking for nor reason wasn’t exactly Jane’s thing, but the way Freddie was acting was anything, but normal. She tried to shrug off the gut-wrenching feeling of self-doubt that was always on the back of her mind, the guilt about her own infertility and about her fears of not being a "real” mother to Layla, but ever since Freddie started hiding in her shell, all these feelings came bubbling back up, from the back of her mind right to the surface again, and Jane couldn’t help but think, that whatever was going on with Freddie for a while now, could have been tied to all the things she’s been worried about. Not a very comforting thought, to be honest.

She’s tried asking Phoebe and Jenny about it, but they didn’t seem to know any more than she did, so she turned to Freddie’s bandmates instead. It kind of felt like they knew something but didn’t want to talk about it, no matter how hard Jane has tried to pry. They tried to reassure her, that Freddie would never think of Jane like how she seemed to be thinking about herself in the past few months, but it was kind of futile. Jane seemed determined about her own little theory, that Freddie got fed up with her for some reason.

Regina stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm when she was about to leave, an encouraging smile on her face.

"Jane, Freddie loves you. A lot. She’s not going to leave you, I’m pretty sure about that.”

"Well, I’m not.” Jane admitted with a deep sigh. "She’s been so distant, Regina. She rarely speaks to me. And she doesn’t even touch me, like…”  
"Are you saying you’re not having sex?” Regina asked way more naturally than someone who was just prying about her best friend’s sexual life, and Jane felt herself blush a little.

"Uhm…yes. But I know, that she needs time to recover, and I wouldn’t want to pressure her into anything.”

That was true, and another thing that did nothing to sooth Jane’s worries: Freddie was a very sexual person, and even if she wasn’t in the mood for big, emotional scenes, she still was always in the mood for a good romp. Comparing the way she abruptly broke their kisses when they were about to get more heated, all but pushing Jane’s hands away when they started to wander now, to how extremely horny she constantly was while pregnant, not really giving her wife a break, definitely showed that something wasn’t okay with her. Months has passed since Layla’s birth, so things down there were very possibly back on track again, and Jane definitely wasn’t planning on turning her inside out with a dildo just yet; just some soft love-making would have sufficed, but Freddie didn’t seem to want even that.

Regina gave her the advice to look up post-partum depression ( "it’s very unlikely, I had a little, but it passed in a week or so”) and also to try and talk to Freddie instead of boiling away in her misery. She also told Jane not so subtly, that Freddie’s avoidance of intimacy very likely stems from an issue that her, Brianna and Joan all knew about, but felt like it wasn’t their place to talk about it.

Since the post-partum depression theory didn’t seem to be working at all, Jane decided it was time for the long-dreaded conversation. They had to talk about this.

She turned off her laptop with a heavy sigh, getting up and walking over to the nursery, peeking through the slightly ajar door.

Just as she guessed, Freddie was in the middle of breastfeeding Layla, cradling her daughter against her chest, humming to her softly. Jane was about to turn around and leave them, but Freddie called out for her softly, and that made her stay.

"Everything okay?” She asked, kind of surprised that her wife even aknowledged her existence. Freddie nodded coyly, a strange expression on her face.

"Yeah. I just didn’t see you all day.”

Jane snorted, trying to push down her temper that rose up at that, but it wasn’t exactly an easy task.

"So, you did notice that I actually live in this house with you?” She asked with a mocking tone, but quickly regretted it in when she saw the look on Freddie’s face.

"I…I’ll meet you in the bedroom.” Freddie said quietly, her voice too choked up, and Jane felt her heart break for her. Sure, she had a right to be a little mad, since Freddie was essentially abandoning her, but maybe she shouldn’t go off on her like that. Whatever was bothering her wife, was probably something that wasn’t under her control, and Jane sure as hell shouldn’t make her feel even worse.

She sat against the headboard on the bed, nervously fidgeting with her hands. It felt like ages have passed before Freddie finally showed up, pulling her nightgown close and lowering herself onto the bed, her face pale.

"Darling…” Freddie started and then trailed off, clearly not knowing how to start. Jane took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She had to lead that conversation, that much was obvious.

"Freddie,” She spoke gently,

"What’s going on with you?”

Her wife swallowed audibly, looking down at her lap, as if in shame. Jane scooted closer to her, but still allowing some distance between them if Freddie didn’t want too much contact.

"Something’s wrong, Kitten. Something’s been very wrong for a while now, especially after Layla’s party. Did I do something wrong, my love? Did I hurt you with something?”

Freddie shook her head quickly, her cheeks going red under Jane’s gentle stare.

"I’m sorry I snapped at you, but…I just…I feel like you’re avoiding me…? You’re being so distant, and it really hurts, Freddie. I don’t want to make you feel bad or anything, but I have feelings too. And I just…feel like we need to talk about this.”

Jane tried to ignore the shakiness of her own voice. She thought she could handle this, but apparently, it was harder than she imagined.

"I’m sorry…” Freddie whispered, barely audible. Jane could see her eyes were glistening with tears even in the dimly lit room, and her heart clenched painfully.

Jane felt her own eyes sting uncomfortably, but she quickly blinked the gathering wetness away.

"Are you…fuck.” She took another deep breath, trying to prevent herself from breaking down, and that finally made Freddie look up.

"Are you being like this…because you realized I’m not the right person to have a family with?”

Freddie’s eyes went wide at this, gasping softly as she looked at her wife in disbelief.

"How can you say that?” She asked, her voice sounding more alive than it did for a while now. Jane hung her head, staring at her hands instead of her wife.

"I mean…I can’t have kids? Like, you had to step back from touring because of me. You wouldn’t have had to do that, if I…could do it.”

She couldn’t really keep her tears at bay anymore, so she just let them stream down her face. She let out a surprised little sound when she felt Freddie cup her face softly.

"Darling, don’t say things like that. We agreed that whoever’s more fit will carry, remember? I was completely okay with it from the start. And we had to cut back before. Deaky and Regina had been pregnant too, one of them twice. So it’s not like it was some great tragedy. Please, don’t beat yourself up over this, okay?”

Jane nodded slowly, wiping at her eyes. Freddie even smiled a little, warm and encouraging and Jane felt most of her worries melt away. But only a little.

"But if that’s not the issue, what is?” She asked softly, gently taking one of Freddie’s hands and lifting it to her lips, pressing a soft kiss onto her knuckles.

Freddie turned crimson red, her shoulders slumping as if she wanted to curl up on herself. She murmured something that Jane couldn’t quite catch, making her frown.

"What was that?”

"I’m…shit.”

Jane felt her heart pounding faster in fear, and her panic that was kind of soothed by Freddie, started to rise again.

"Freddie…can you talk a little louder, I can’t…”

"I’m FAT.” Freddie groaned, much louder this time, burying her face in her hands with a whimper. Jane’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline, and she would have laughed if that wouldn’t bother Freddie so much.

"Kitten. Is this why you’ve been acting so cold towards me for months?” She asked, her disbelief pretty obvious in her voice. She had to pry Freddie’s hand off her face so she could look into her eyes. Her wife looked miserable and like she was about to start crying too.

"I gained so much weight during the pregnancy.” She started quietly, biting her lip. "I don’t like what I’m seeing in the mirror at all. I wanted to wear a dress that I bought not long before Layla was born to her party, and I couldn’t fucking fit into it. The bloody thing literally tore on my thighs.”

Jane sighed softly, wrapping her arms around Freddie and pulling her close to her chest, her heart fluttering happily when Freddie didn’t pull away.

"And I…I just feel so shitty. I shouldn’t have took it out on you, and I’m so sorry. But…you fell in love with my tiny waist and I just couldn’t handle the thought that you wouldn’t want me now that I look so fat…”

"I didn’t fall in love with your tiny waist, I fell in love with you.” Jane corrected her, stroking Freddie’s hair gently. "Did you really think I wouldn’t want you anymore, just because you’re not rail-thin after carrying an 8 pound baby?”

Freddie had to admit, it did sound a little ridiculous out loud. She burrowed deeper into Jane’s embrace, hiding her face in her chest.

"And of course, I want you.” Jane admitted, blushing a little. "I mean…I kept trying and you always pulled away.”

Freddie sighed, nodding with a little grimace. "I know…and I’m really sorry, dear. I just really didn’t want you to see me naked.”

"Well, I really do want to see you naked, if that’s any consolation.” Jane chuckled, making Freddie blush with a small, shy smile.

"You do?” She asked, voice small. Jane nodded, cupping her face and kissing her slowly, languidly, sighing happily against her lips when Freddie eventually opened her mouth, letting her tongue slip inside.

"Is this okay?” Jane asked softly, pulling on the sash of Freddie’s nightgown slowly, giving her time to back down if she wanted to. Freddie let out a shaky breath but nodded, letting Jane brush the soft material aside. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see Jane’s reaction to her body.

"You’re beautiful.” Jane whispered, her voice absolutely honest. She gently pushed Freddie onto her back, climbing on top of her, planting feather-light kisses all over her neck and chest, lips exploring the warm, flushed skin.

Freddie gasped when Jane’s tongue lightly brushed over a swollen nipple before she travelled further down, kissing Freddie’s soft belly.

"I really like what I see.” Jane assured her, her lips tracing the faint stretch-marks. "This is just the evidence of you being so strong, carrying our beautiful daughter and bringing her into the world.”

Freddie felt herself blush deeply as Jane kept pressing kisses onto her round stomach, her wide hips and thick thighs, hands soothing over the soft skin.

"I might even like you better like this than with the tiny waist.” Jane winked and Freddie chuckled, gently swatting at her head.

"Don’t lie to me, you idiot.”  
"Am not.” Jane grinned, nipping at the inside of Freddie’s thigh playfully. "I swear, Freddie. You’re bloody gorgeous.”

Freddie bit her lip, her heart pounding as Jane kep kissing and caressing her insecurities away.

By the time Jane delved in between her legs, Freddie was sure of one thing:

No matter how much self-doubt they both had, together, they could get through it.


	5. Trouble In Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Layla gets sick, and some angst pops up to deter the fluff-train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's angsty, yes, but I'm not one for sad endings, so don't worry too much :)
> 
> Feedback (especially comments) is so, so appreciated!

They immediately knew something was very wrong when Layla refused to eat in the morning.

The process of helping Layla slowly transit from breastmilk to baby food has begun, and so far the results were pretty positive; she didn’t seem to have a problem with it, sometimes she needed the milk instead, but other than that, it went quite smoothly.

But on that godawful morning, she protested against both. She pushed the spoon away with the pulp with a pitiful whimper, no matter how many times Jane has tried to playfully get her to eat it. At first they thought she was just having what they jokingly called her "breast-day”, but she just cried when she was put to Freddie’s chest, not latching on like she usually would.

"Something’s wrong. Something’s very, very wrong.” Freddie’s voice was already shaking with nerves as she cradled their daughter to her chest, looking down at her little face with panic-filled eyes.

"Why isn’t she eating anything?”

"I don’t know.” Jane said honestly, rubbing at her temples. They’ve been at this for almost hours now, and to say she was growing more and more worried with each passing second, was an understatement.

"She has to eat something.” Freddie whimpered, her eyes quickly filling with tears. Layla looked frail and pale, that adorable rosiness on her cheeks nowhere to be seen. It was clear that they had to get something in her soon before she becomes malnutritioned.

"Should we call the doctor?” Phoebe - who was creeping just outside the door, equally worried for the baby- asked, her voice laden with concern. Jane nodded silently, and she was gone in a flash, already looking for the number.

Freddie was one second away from a complete mental breakdown, that was without a doubt. Layla hasn’t eaten anything in hours, and she was looking more and more sick with each passing second. They had to do something, quick.

Jane wrapped an arm around her shoulder comfortingly to pull her close, her other hand stroking Layla’s cheeks, her heart cleching uncomfortably when she felt her daughter’s cheeks burning up. She could feel Freddie tremble slightly in her arms, and she nuzzled her cheeks softly, trying to calm her –well, actually, the both of them- down as much as possible.

"She’s going to be okay. The doc will be here soon.” Jane said softly, masking the shakiness of her own voice. Freddie let out a shaky breath, her lips wobbling as she tried to keep the sobs that threatened to surface at bay. She couldn’t take her eyes off of Layla’s miserable little face: god, she looked so weak, not at all like the adorable, chubby, full of life baby she has been just a day prior. It was almost like the life has been gradually seeping out of her, and Freddie has never felt so helpless and desperate in her entire life before, like she did now.

The doctor was quick, thankfully, escorted into the living room by Jenny and Phoebe, both of them looking extremely worried as they stood by, watching the scene unfold before them.

Freddie almost didn’t want to let go of Layla when the doctor reached for her so he could examine her, her heart breaking when her daughter started wailing the moment she was pulled out of her mother’s hands. That was another thing that worried them: Layla was an extremely calm baby, just very rarely crying, so her meltdown caused by being picked up was anything, but comforting.

Jane gently took Freddie’s hand and squeezed it, her thumb rubbing comforting circles onto the back of her hand. Her own heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces when the doctor frowned as he was checking Layla’s temperature. That didn’t promise anything good.

"She has a high fever, and I’m afraid she’s becoming dehydrated.” He explained slowly, and as if to back up his statement, Layla whined.

"You’re not going to like this, but…I think we should take her to the hospital. She needs to be put on IV.”

Jane quickly blinked the gathering tears away when she heard Freddie let out a choked up little sob next to her. At least she has to stay strong; all of them breaking down sure as hell won’t help Layla.

Phoebe and Jenny immediately went to gather up the essentials unprompted, knowing that both Freddie and Jane needed a moment alone. They sure did; Freddie buried her face in Jane’s neck, pathetic little sobs forcing themselves out of her throat while her wife tried to shush her, while also being a hair’s breadth away from collapsing herself.

"It’s going to be okay. She’s going to be okay.” Jane murmured into Freddie’s hair, squeezing her wife as tight as possible. The doctor handed them Layla back, explaining them the details that putting Layla into the hospital will include, but Freddie barely heard him. The only thing she could hear was her own, panicking brain screaming,

_ Our baby is in danger, she’s suffering, and none of us are able to help her. _

Jane wasn’t able to hold back her tears anymore when they hooked Layla on the IV, their daughter letting out a heartbreaking cry as the needle pierced her sensitive, dry skin. She looked truly awful, and Jane really didn’t want to think about the consequences.

"This is going to help her get re-hydrated.” A nurse explained, kindly squeezing first Freddie’s, then Jane’s hand with a small, encouraging smile before leaving the two mothers behind. The moment the door shut behind her, Freddie started sobbing.

"She’s going to die…we’re going to lose her.” She cried, body jerking with the violent sobs. Jane hugged her close, her own tears streaming down her face. She wanted to comfort her wife, she wanted to say "no, she won’t die, everything is going to be okay”, but the way Layla was lying basically half-dead in the hospital bed, looking small and so, so fragile, she honestly didn’t know what to say or think anymore.

They could only stand there, next to her bed, holding onto each other, both of ther faces swimming in tears as they both begged some higher force, or anyone, really, to help their poor kid. Because this cannot be happening, no.

After so much struggling, so many wars they had to fight to get to where they are right now, it was simply impossible for them to lose it all, so suddenly and cruelly, everything they worked and fought and bled and cried for being ripped out of their hands, for seemingly no reason at all.

Freddie looked like she was about to get sick too as she was sitting in that ugly, orange plastic chair, eyes bloodshot and sunken in, face ghostly pale. Jane wasn’t in a much better state either, but at least she could stop some of the shaking in her hands, and now she was able to hold a plastic cup full of godawful coffee from the vending machine without spilling it everywhere.

"Hey. We came as quickly as we could. What happened?” Brianna asked, crouching down in front of Freddie, putting a comforting hand on her knee. Freddie didn’t, couldn’t say anything anymore, so she just surged forward, flying into her friend’s arms, sobbing into her chest. Regina let out a deep sigh next to them, rubbing a hand up and down Freddie’s arms, while Joan hugged Jane tightly, shushing her gently when the Irish woman started crying against her.

"What happened to her?” Regina asked softly after a few moments have passed, allowing the two sobbing parents to calm down a little bit. Jane sniffled, rubbing at her face.

"Some kind of intestinal obstruction, that’s what the doc said. We probably switched to baby food too soon.”

"It’s our fault…” Freddie whimpered against Brianna’s chest, another pathetic sob forcing itself out of her throat. "We’re killing our baby…”

"No, no, no, you’re not.” Joan perked up right away. "Hey, that’s a common mistake, okay? It happens. This is your first baby, you’re bound to make mistakes.”

"Mistakes that kill our child?” Jane asked, her voice so, so tired and sad. She couldn’t believe it. They were shitty parents, and now they are going to pay for it.

"Look, if she’s on IV, and she gets the treatment in time, she will be okay.” Regina comforted them, trying to shake them up a little bit. "Guys, stuff like this happens. But I think you brought her in in time.”

"I hope so…” Jane sighed, wrapping her arms around Freddie again.

She knew, that none of them will be able to live on if they didn’t.

Freddie was crying again, this time from relief, and Jane also deflated next to her, letting out the loudest, happiest sigh in her entire life.

"You can take her home in a few days. Go back to breastfeeding for a few months, and if things are going smoothly, you can try again with solids.” The doctor explained with a small, encouraging smile.

Layla was okay. They did bring her in just in time, meaning she got her treatment quickly. She was still a little weak, and she lost some weight, but she definitely looked healthier, even giggling a little bit when Freddie carefully scooped her up in her arms.

"Hello, darling.” Freddie cooned softly, her eyes swimming with happy tears. Jane grinned, stroking her daughter’s cheek, which elicited another delighted giggle from her.

"We’re going home soon.” Jane said giddily, hugging her wife and their baby close.

That was one hell of a large and scary bump in the road, but thankfully, they managed to get through that too.


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a glimpse at our little family after some time-jump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's done. 
> 
> Thank you for anyone who read this totally self-indulgent bullshit, especially those who also commented or left kudos! <3

Layla was so excited she could have jumped out of her own skin any minute now.

Her Mummies will be home soon, and they will bring her little brother home!

It made sense for her to be excited: she has been begging her parents for a little sibling for the past year. A few other kids in kidergarden also had little sisters or brothers, and to be honest, she was jealous. She wanted to be a big, protective sister too-she was four years old, after all, a big girl who was definitely old enough to take care of a baby!

Her Mummies sat her down one day, and explained to her –as lightly as they could, leaving out the medical parts, given the fact their daughter was only four years old- how Freddie carried her, and how Jane couldn’t carry a baby like she did, which made Layla sad to no end, because she could see that her Mama felt really bad about that. Freddie also explained it to her, that she can’t afford carrying another baby since things became much more erratic in their schedule with the band. Layla seemed sad, but she didn’t throw a tantrum over it: sometimes she acted much more mature than her age, and she could tell her Mummies were sad about it too.

_ "Don’t you want another baby?” Jane asked Freddie softly when they were laying in bed that night, caressing her wife’s hair gently._

_ Freddie looked up, a sad little smile on her face. _

_ "I’ve been thinking about it, actually. I do want one, but I don’t think I want to go through a pregnancy again…” _

_ Jane nodded, a heavy sigh leaving her lips. Freddie immediately knew what she was about to say, so she pressed a hand against her mouth to prevent her from talking. _

_ "Don’t you dare apologize. Darling, how many times do I have to explain to you, that your infertility doesn’t make you worthless?” _

_ "But we could give Layla a little sister, or a brother.” Jane said, sighing deeply again when Freddie finally pulled her hand away from her mouth. "She wants it, we both want it. And we can’t have it.” _

_ Freddie sighed, burrowing closer into her wife’s embrace, her own hands tracing comforting patterns over Jane’s skin. _

_ They spent a few minutes in silence, their breathing was the only sound in the room. Finally, Freddie looked up again, a small smile playing at her lips. _

_ "Do you remember what we said back then, when I was struggling to get pregnant?” Freddie asked, her eyes glimmering with an almost child-like excitement, which made Jane perk up too. _

_ "Refreshen my memory.” Jane chuckled, and Freddie grinned wider, sitting up to face her wife fully. _

_ "That, if I can’t concieve, we’re going to adopt.” _

_ Jane felt her own lips curl into a smile involuntarily. Of course. Why were they even thinking about this? Just as Jane has said, Layla wanted it, Freddie wanted it, she wanted it-so honestly, they really should just go for it. The solution was right there, and they were just moping about. God, they could be so stupid sometimes, Jane thought with an amused chuckle. _

_ "Right.” Jane said softly, reaching out and pulling Freddie closer until her wife was sitting on her lap comfortably, her hands resting on Freddie’s hips. _

_ "We’re having another baby then, huh?” _

_ Freddie chuckled, leaning forward to press their foreheads together. _

_ "It would make me really happy. I kind of miss the baby-days.” _

_ "So do I.” Jane admitted softly, pressing a chaste kiss onto Freddie’s lips, her heart fluttering happily as she felt her wife smile into the kiss. _

_ "It’s going to be another talk with Layla, though.” Jane said after their lips parted. Freddie nodded, but her smile never left her face. _

_ "I know. But our darling is the smartest little girl in the whole world. She’ll understand.” _

Layla did, after some initial confusion about what the babies ’real parents’ will do if Freddie and Jane take their kid away, but luckily, they managed to find a way to explain as best as possible, that they are going to be the baby’s real parents, and Layla is going to be their real sister, no matter where they come from.

In the end, Layla could only care about the premise of having her own, oh-so wanted baby sibling, and not about who actually gave birth to said baby.

Layla sprinted to the door the moment it opened, ignoring Phoebe and Jenny’s warnings of "no running.” She wanted to finally see the baby, of course she’s not going to walk slowly!

Freddie was glowing in happiness as she saw her excited daughter run up to them, too interested in the baby to give her Mummy a hug, but Freddie didn’t mind. She was excited too.

"Hello, darling.” Freddie greeted her softly. Layla was already staring up at Jane who was holding a little bundle against her chest, her own face matching Freddie’s glowing one.

"Can I see the baby?” Layla asked, a little impatient. Jane nodded, but pressed a finger against her own lips, signalling for her daughter to be a little more quiet.

"He’s sleeping.” Jane explained, than she carefully turned the baby so Layla could see his little face. Layla’s eyes widened in awe, and she grinned.

"I have a little brother.” She announced in a whisper-yell, staring at the baby like she just met God. The tiny boy’s face crumpled in his sleep, but immediately relaxed when Jane pressed a little kiss onto his forehead.

"Can I give him a name?” Layla asked, bouncing like a rubber ball as she stared up at Freddie with pleading eyes. "Please, Mummy, I want to give him a name!”

"He already has a name, actually.” Freddie chuckled, gently caressing her daughter’s face to make the disappointed little pout melt away.

"His name is Gabriel.”

Layla seemed to be thinking, tilting her head to the side with a thoughtful look, then shrugged.

"Okay, fine.”

That made everyone let out a hearty little laugh, which quickly turned into a delighted little ’awww’ when the baby yawned, his eyes opening to look around curiously.

"He’s so adorable.” Jenny cooned as she walked closer, staring down at the baby in Jane’s arms.

"I can already tell he’s going to be as spoiled as Layla.” Phoebe said with a grin, causing Layla to punch her hips lightly (that was the only thing she could reach).

"I’m not spoiled!” She protested. Freddie laughed, pulling her daughter into a hug.

"Only as much as your Mummy.” She said, shooting Jane a positively lovesick smile, which her wife returned immediately, one hand still holding Gabriel close against her chest, the other squeezing Freddie’s tightly.

"You should call the girls to tell them the big news. Maybe they can come over after Gabriel had his nap.” Jane advised, and Freddie nodded vigorously, her eyes lighting up.

"Yes! Brianna could bring her baby over. Oh, and I already wanted to lend Regina a…”

She didn’t get to finish her sentence, because Jane gently shut her up with her lips.

"I think we should have some time for ourselves, first.” She said softly. Freddie nodded, her smile widening as she took Layla’s hand, and the little family of –now four- marched into the living room.

Jane sat down on the couch, wrapping one arm around Freddie who had her lap full of Layla. Gabriel woke up again from the little slumber he fell into during the short period of reaching the living room, looking up at his sister with curious eyes, one hand fisted in Jane’s shirt, the other already reaching out. Layla gently grabbed his little hand, shaking it lightly.

"Hello, I’m your big sister. I’m going to protect you, and so will Mummy and Mama.”

Jane cooned, pressing a kiss onto her daughter’s cheek, then onto Gabriel’s forehead, and then last onto Freddie’s lips, who was smiling brightly, her eyes shining with happy tears.

As they cuddled on the couch, basking in the warmth of each other, Layla pulling funny faces to make Gabriel giggle, Freddie and Jane could only think of one thing:

_ How could they not be happy? _

**Author's Note:**

> You can also find me on Tumblr at bambirex, which is my main blog,
> 
> or,
> 
> bambirexwrites, where I take requests about fem!queen, so feel free to drop by and send me something! :))


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